Apparatus for forepoling



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0ct. 24, 1933. w. LAUDER APPARATUS FOR FOREPOLI NG Filed NOV. l5, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5- Oct. 424, 1933. w LAUDER 1,932,279

APPARATUS FOR FOREPOLING Filed Nov. l5, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 nim m 5,0 @la NNNNNN OR Patented ct. 24, 1933 bnrgh Coal Company,

PATENT OFFICE armas ArrAlRA'rUs* Fon FoREPoLING illiam Laude Sylvania Application November 15, 1930 Serial No. 495,881

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to' mining apparatus and more specically to apparatus for forepoling in connection with mining operations.

In a majority of mines as the mining operations progress along for example, to be mined, it various supporting means a bed of mineral such as coal,

is customary to erect for the roof and/or the stratum of material immediately overlying the bed of coal or the like and which is in a typical case, a layer of draw slate.

lying stratum is not hard have been spaced irregularly as roof conditions may require, and as a resu be mined practically entir When the overor firm the supports lt the mineral ely or very substantially by hand methods, it being impracticable to the cost thereof and results also of the number of accidents unsafe or insecure procedu One of the objects or my out mining operations, coal without undercutting, shearing,

mineral and in a generally manner.

Another object is so to ments in the tunnels, drifts,

use loading machinery except to a limited degree This not only slows up the retendency to add to in an increase in such mines due to re or supports.

invention is to carry mining, for example,

interfering with standard practice in drilling and shooting the safe and economical support certain eleand mine entries that loading machinery of comparatively great size and capacity can be easily and effectively utilized with the consequent very substantial replacement of machinery for hand labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fore-poling structure of a highly effective yet simple form permitting the removal of mineral, coal, for example, relatively unmixed with other matter and which can be used in entries, room,

pillars and long faces.

" A further object is to ere ct a forepoling structure to maintain the stratum of material immediately overlying from coming, during the m admixture with the material mined.

the bed of material to be mined ining operations, into This layer stratum while the mineral to be mined therebelow is removed and then to remove an amount of the superstratum substantially coextensive with the portion of subjacent mineral removed.

Other and further object s will be apparent to those skilled in this particular iield or will be clear hereinfater.

The method of mining formation of forepoling ho involves broadly the les in the top of the has to.

a corporation of Penn- (Cl. MS2-1) coal or other mineral to be mined and immediately below the superstratum. Poles, pipes, rods, bars, beams or the like are placed in these holes and the forepoling structurer then completed in such a manner as to permit the free movement of mechanical loading devices, whereupon the underlying mineral is removed and thereafter temporary supports for 'the superstratum are set up and the forepoling structure withdrawn. Finally the temporary supports are knocked out and the superstratum removed to an extent substantially coextensive with the coal mined.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the use of the forepoling of the present invention and in these drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a set-up forepoling structure. K

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coal or other mineral to bemined being removed by means of loading machinery.

Fig. 3 is a'perspective View of the face ,of the bed of mineral to be mined after the predetermined amount thereof has been completely removed.

Fig. 4 illustrates an elevational view looking at the bed of mineral and illustrating the appearance of the workings when the temporary supports have been set up and the forepoling structure removed.

Fig. 5 represents the conditions in the workings immediately after the knocking out of the temporary supports of Fig,4l.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view through a portion of the bed of mineral 90 showing a modified form of forepoling structure associated therewith.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of theforepoling structure of Fig. 6

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are details of clamps which 95 may be used.

. Similar. numerals refer to throughout the several views.

The Vbed of coal or other mineral to be mined is indicated by the numeral 10 and in a typical 100 mine, for example, the superstratumk consists of a layer of draw slate 1l above which is the roof of the working 12 and below the bed of material 10 is the bottom or flooring 13. The coal bed may average about 6 feet and the draw slate about 105 one foot.

The coal is first undercut at 14 in the conventional manner and this may be done either by machine as is the present practice, .or by hand, if necessary.` Aplurality of forepoling holes 15 are 110 similar parts or more.

then suitably `drilled into the bed of material perpendicular to the face thereof and immediately below the superstratum. These holes may be, for example 3 in diameter and extend further in- Ward than the predetermined amount of mineral to be mined. For example, if about eight feet of mineral are to be removed the holes are drilled to a depth of about nine feet and the coal i's undercut to a depth of about eight feet. Into these forepoling holes 15 are placed the forepoling poles, pipes, rods, bars, beams or the like of suitable sirength or other members 16, and, in the instance illustrated, vthese pipes are about ten feet long so that they project about one-foot from the face of the bed, the other end, therefore, resting in the solid mineral in back of the mineral which is to be removed by the subsequent operations. (See dotted line 10 in Fig. 6 indicating depth of mineral to be removed.)

After each hole has received its member, and there may be any suitable number of holes and members depending upon the various conditions in the mine, room, entry, pillar, or long face, the supporting H-beam 17, of suitable size for example, 4-inch, is then placed in position immediately beneath said pipes as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This H-beam is of suitable strength and about 20' long and is provided at one end With an extension sleeve 18 which is provided for the purpose of adjusting the length of the beam to fit snugly against the Walls or ribs of the bed and in a typical case, for example, the room to be cut is about twenty-one feet wide The beam is then suitably wedged at each end by driving wedges 19 to hold the beam securely against the ribs, walls or roof as the case may be, one end of the beam resting in a hitch cut in the rib of the coal. Jacks 20 and -2-1 of suitable types are then suitably positioned, as shown in Fig. 1, at one side of the room under the beam end leaving at the other side a relatively wide space for mining the mineral. This mineral is blasted or knocked down in any suitable way and a loading machine 22, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, of a suitable type is brought in to load the coal quickly with a minimum of manual effort and personal hazard. The particular form of loading machine forms no part of the present invention but the type shown in Fig. 2 may be utilized to great advantage.

VAs is shown in Fig. 2, the roof of the workings may be suitably supported by jack 23 and cap 24, and such forms no part of the present invention.

After the machine of Fig. 2 has loaded the coal from the lefthand side of the room, the jack 20 may be transferred to the lefthand side of 'the room to support the H-beam and jacks placed under the draw slate between the pipes to permit scraping of the coal not loaded by the machine, as shown in Fig. 3 and the righthand portion of the material then removed similarly to Fig.

2, the illustration in Fig. 3 showing such material already removed and in fact the predetermined amount of coal entirely removed.

.Wedges or blocks 20a may be used with the jacks to prevent sagging of the slate if required or found desirable.

When the condition of Fig. 3 has been reached, temporary supports are placed in position under the superstratum 11 as shown clearly in Fig. 4, the superstratum having already settled from the roof as at 11a so that its weight rests von the pipes, p'oles, beams. and jacks. This temporary supporting means may consist, for example, of

appropriate uprights 25 having short cap pieces 26, the uprights being wedged thereunder so as to support the full weight of the superstratum from under which the mineral has been removed. The forepoling structure is then entirely removed.

The next step is for the temporary supports to be knocked out and this may be done in any suitable manner such 'as by ropes, chains, post-pullers or long handled axes or the like, upon the removal of which/the superstratum falls by its own weight as shown clearly in Fig. 5. Generally the entire portion of superstraum does not fall, but any remaining pieces in the corners or the like may be readily knocked down. The fragments are removed and it is thus seen that they have been kept entirely separate throughout from 'the coal or material being mined, and hence there has been no admixture with the resultant production of an inferior material or one requiring subsequent separation of the adulterating componentsl Thereafter the whole process is repeated seriatim and this serial procedure may proceed the full length of the bed or any desired portion thereof until the desired or available amount of material has been mined.

I have found that by the use of the instant method, I not only accelerate the mining operations, but I produce a cleaner and more desirable mineral at a decreased cost per unit. This method is also adaptable to mines of many formations geologically, and to the driving of entries,

drifts and tunnels in loose material, and I hove found that in the instance illustrated the method is exceedingly adaptable and effective. The forepoling structure, as above indicated, does not interfere with standard practice of undercutting, shearing, drilling and shooting the mineral whereby the full beneiits and advantages of the invention are secured Without any concomitant disadvantages. The forepoiling structure, moreover, may be used equally well in entries, rooms and long faces, and where the room is very big, for example, a plurality of forepoiling structures may be set up alongside each other as will be understood from the foregoing. While the beam may be made of a suitable steel or alloy composition I nd that an aluminum beam is light and strong and readily adaptable to my invention.

Whichever form is used, the forepoling structure is so erected that there may be free unrestricted and safe movement and use of mechanical loading devices to secure rapid, safe andv -v economical loading of the mineral. Y

In so-me cases I find it more effective and advantageous to complete the forepoling structure above members 16 rather than below them and this form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 6,

7, 8, 9 and 10. The holes for members 16 are bored immediately below the slate at the extreme top of the mineral. The beam 17 is placed on top o-f the member 16 and the hitch cutgin which one end of the beam rests, as hereinabove described, is cut in the slate instead of in the l mineral. lSleeve 18 of member r1'7 may be held in adjusted position as by wedge 27. Hangers 28 are placed in the position clearly shown in Fig. 7 and the elements secured appropriately by clamps 29 and Si), shaped as shown, and assembled as shown. This is so clearly shown as to requireno further discussion, the clamps of course cooperating with the flanges of beam 17.

It is apparent that I need lnot necessarily form said holes 15 as a separate step or operation, but

that they may be automatically or simultaneously formed with the entry of poles 16 by driving the same, suitably shaped therefor, if preferred, into the portion of mineral 10 in the positions indicated hereinabove. In other Words, the poles 16 may be forcibly inserted, particularly when the mineral vein 10 is relatively soft and/or relatively pure.

Naturally I do not limit myself to precisely the details shown, but I reserve the right torsuch modications, variations, substitutions and additions in the method as will enable it to be utilized in workings of comparable geologic formations.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A forepoling structure for use in supporting layers of material overlying mineral to be mined and which is advanced to enable mining of successive portions of mineral in a manner to provide for free, unrestricted and safe movement and use of mechanical loading devices during the mining operations, comprising poles perpendicular to the portion of mineral to be mined and extending into said mineral just below said overlying layers of material a distance greater than the depth of mineral about to be removed, said poles projecting from said mineral, Va transverse supporting beam, having its ends snugly fitting against the adjacent walls, under said projecting pole portions, and means for supporting said beam and hence said overlying layers of material while said mineral is being mined, said beam having an extension sleeve to adapt the beam for variously spaced walls.

`2. A forepoling structure for use in supporting layers of material overlying mineral to be mined and which is advanced to enable mining of successive portions of mineral in a manner to provide for free, unrestricted and safe movement and use of mechanical loading devices during the mining operations, comprising poles perpendicular to the portion of mineral to be mined and extending into said mineral just below said overlying layers of material a distance greater than the depth of mineral about to be removed, said poles projecting from said mineral, a transverse supporting beam, having its ends snugly fitting against the adjacent walls, under said projecting pole portions, and means for supporting said beam and hence said overlying layers of material While said mineral is being mined, said beam being variable in length to enable it to be used for differently spaced walls. i

WILLIAM LAUDER. 

